Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a North American junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round-robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL). Sixty teams are eligible to compete for the Memorial Cup, representing nine Canadian provinces and four American states. The Oshawa Generals are the current champions, defeating the Kelowna Rockets 2-1 in overtime. The Memorial Cup is often regarded as one of the toughest trophies to win, due to 60 teams participating and the age limit only being 16-21. The trophy was originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and was donated by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 1919 to be awarded to the junior champion of Canada. From its inception until 1971, the Memorial Cup was open to all Junior A teams in the country and was awarded following a series of league, provincial and regional playoffs culminating in an east-west championship. The three-league tournament format began in 1972 when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association divided the Junior A rank into two tiers, naming the Memorial Cup as the championship of the Major Junior level. The Memorial Cup was proposed by Captain James T. Sutherland during World War I, who wanted to create a trophy as a memorial to remember the OHA's players who died during the war. When the trophy was created, it was dedicated in honour of the soldiers who died fighting for Canada in the war. It was rededicated during the 2010 tournament to honour all soldiers who died fighting for Canada in any conflict. Champions *1919: University of Toronto Schools *1920: Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers *1921: Winnipeg Falcons *1922: Fort William War Veterans *1923: University of Manitoba Bisons *1924: Owen Sound Greys *1925: Regina Patricias *1926: Calgary Canadians *1927: Owen Sound Greys *1928: Regina Monarchs *1929: Toronto Marlboros *1930: Regina Pats *1931: Elmwood Millionaires *1932: Sudbury Cub Wolves *1933: Newmarket Redmen *1934: Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1935: Winnipeg Monarchs *1936: West Toronto Nationals *1937: Winnipeg Monarchs *1938: St. Boniface Seals *1939: Oshawa Generals *1940: Oshawa Generals *1941: Winnipeg Rangers *1942: Portage la Prairie Terriers *1943: Winnipeg Rangers *1944: Oshawa Generals *1945: Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1946: Winnipeg Monarchs *1947: Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1948: Port Arthur West End Bruins *1949: Montreal Royals *1950: Montréal Junior Canadiens *1951: Barrie Flyers *1952: Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters *1953: Barrie Flyers *1954: St. Catharines Teepees *1955: Toronto Marlboros *1956: Toronto Marlboros *1957: Flin Flon Bombers *1958: Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens *1959: Winnipeg Braves *1960: St. Catharines Teepees *1961: Toronto St. Michael's Majors *1962: Hamilton Red Wings *1963: Edmonton Oil Kings *1964: Toronto Marlboros *1965: Niagara Falls Flyers *1966: Edmonton Oil Kings *1967: Toronto Marlboros *1968: Niagara Falls Flyers *1969: Montréal Junior Canadiens *1970: Montréal Junior Canadiens *1971: Québec Remparts *1972: Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) *1973: Toronto Marlboros (OHL) *1974: Regina Pats (WHL) *1975: Toronto Marlboros (OHL) *1976: Hamilton Fincups (OHL) *1977: New Westminster Bruins (WHL) *1978: New Westminster Bruins (WHL) *1979: Peterborough Petes (OHL) *1980: Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) *1981: Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) *1982: Kitchener Rangers (OHL) *1983: Portland Winter Hawks (hosts) *1984: Ottawa 67's (OHL) *1985: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) *1986: Guelph Platers (OHL) *1987: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) *1988: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) *1989: Swift Current Broncos (WHL) *1990: Oshawa Generals (OHL) *1991: Spokane Chiefs (WHL) *1992: Kamloops Blazers (WHL) *1993: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (hosts) *1994: Kamloops Blazers (WHL) *1995: Kamloops Blazers (hosts) *1996: Granby Prédateurs (QMJHL) *1997: Hull Olympiques (hosts) *1998: Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) *1999: Ottawa 67's (hosts) *2000: Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) *2001: Red Deer Rebels (WHL) *2002: Kootenay Ice (WHL) *2003: Kitchener Rangers (OHL) *2004: Kelowna Rockets (hosts) *2005: London Knights (hosts) *2006: Québec Remparts (QMJHL) *2007: Vancouver Giants (hosts) *2008: Spokane Chiefs (WHL) *2009: Windsor Spitfires (OHL) *2010: Windsor Spitfires (OHL) *2011: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) *2012: Shawinigan Cataractes (hosts) *2013: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) *2014: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) *2015: Oshawa Generals (OHL) Category:Tournaments